Drapery carrier



Now-20; 195T" F. H. V-VERNER AL DRAPERY CARRIER Filed April 16 1949 Fred H Jar/1259s J Graham ATTOR EYS Patented Nov. 20, 1951 DRAPERY CARRIER Fred H. Werner and James J. Graham, Wallingford, Conn assignors to H. L. Judd Company, Wallingford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application April 16, 1949, Serial No. 87,946

6 Claims.

Our invention relates to a drapery fixture, and in particular to a traverse-slide carrier of, the type which may be operated by draw or pull cords.

In drapery fixtures of the character indicated, particularly where the friction of the slides due to the weight of suspended drapes is rather great compared with the stiii'ness of the draw cord, it frequently happens that after the drapes are drawn together a relaxation of stress in the draw cords may result in an undesired slight parting of the drapes, in a supposedly closed relation of the drapes. In certain cases, it may be ver difiicult to draw the drapes completely together, .without actually having to stand on a stool and pull the slides together by hand.

It is, accordingly, an object of the invention to provide an improved device of the character indicated.

It is another object to provide an improved slide-type drapery fixture in which a slide may be positively held in a selected position.

It is also an object to provide ,a two-slide .drapery fixture in which the two slides may be latchingly held in a drawn relative position of said slides.

It is still another object to provide a drapery fixture meeting the above objects and incorporating means eiiective after latching engage- 'ment, whereby tension in the draw or pull means may be relieved as the pull is relaxed in the drawn position, so that there may be a minimum of residual stress on the latch means.

Other objects and various further features of the invention Will be pointed out or will occur to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In said drawings, which show, for illustrative purposes only, a preferred form of the invention:

Fig. l is a rear view in elevation of a traverseslide drapery carrier incorporating features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the arrangement of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the slide means in another position.

Briefly stated, our invention contemplates an improved slide-type drapery fixture wherein detent means are provided for holding the slide or slides in a given position, whereby relaxation of stress in the draw or pull means may not have the effect of undesirably dislodging theselected position of the slide or slides. In the form to be described, two slides are movable in opposite directions by means of a pull-cord system, and two- 2 way-action detent means are efiective, upon pull-cord actuation, to engage the slides against dislod iment from a given relative position. The position so held may be one in which the drapes positioned by the slides are drawn and in longitudinally overlapping relation, and the detent mean m y :in suc case m i e c per ti p rt carrie by each o the de If osir d. th relation of the slides may be such that lost motion is p r itte a t a ete t en a ement an as the slides are drawn closer together, whereby the lost motion may be utilized to relieve the pull- .oord stress after la in a pu on he p ll ord- :Reie rins t th r wi y i n i n i shown in application t a t averseesl de e o drapery carried in which the rod or track 5 is of o-s c i h nd s thus de e y space o po lon tudin lly e endi d s Th od 5 may he a in le piec or ne r mo l n hs o oe oti n rod mat rial may he t los p d a Well-known ma n ne or mo s -es 8--9 may be slidable on the ra k 5, and in the form shown aligned shoes or ot er uid members ill on the slides 8.9 may rve to ep he slide 8--9 on the track.

The entire ass mbly may e upp rted as y han in from end brackets i-. and h iorm sh wn th se end brac e s ar a tached t blocks 13-44 inserted in the rod ,5 at ea h nd- The blocks I3--l4 may be suitably formed to accommodate pull-cord sheaves. In the iorm shown, a pull cord I5 is r n over .a first sheav t6 in the block 14,, lon h spa e within th rod ,5, thro h a loop a d lockin lug IT n th sli e 8, ar und a heave it in he block 3 ac within the r0015, ou h a op and lockin lu h s d 8, an n o er a shea e Z i the block hus, with th arran ement shown i will be clear that by pulling the ri h -hand n (in the sens of Fig of the d he l d fi -.9 may he pul ed to th r r drawn, and that, :by pulling the le -han end of the cord 15, th slides-1&4 may be sepa a ed- The slides may in ude rap ry s p parts. and theiormshown a part 2| on the slide 9 may lonitudi al y overl p a pr jecting finger part 22 on the Sli e :8, when the slides are in hetdrawn position .(see Fig. 3)

In accordance with our invention, we provide means for holding a given relative position ,of the slides li -9, and in the form shown we have provided such :holding means in .order to sustain the longitudinally overlapped relation of Fig. 3, which will be a central position in most applications of our carrier. Such holding means will be clear.

azsvaosc d posite slopes on either side thereof, the detent action may be two-way; that is, essentially the same resistance to dislodgement may be presented as to making engagement-The keeper means 24 may not only serve the purpose of engagement with the detent member 23, but in striking an abutment portion 26 on the slide 9 the keeper means 24 may determine the drawn limit of relative movement of the slides'89,'as"

V The detent and keeper means 23-24 ispreferably in the general plane of align- ;ment of the aligned shoes Ill so that detent action may be substantially uniformly sustained by both edges 6-Tof the track.

As has been suggested above, we prefer that there be some lost relative motion between the slides 8-9 after efiecting a detent engagement.

Such lost motion may be efifectively provided by suitably spacing the detent dimple 23 from the abutment 26 on the slide 9. It will be clear that such lost motion after effecting a detent engagement may usefully provide a means for reliev- -ing tension stress in the draw cord I5, so that the'detent engagement need not be subjected to residual stress after a drawing pull on the cord traverse-slide fixtures, and we have shown a means for rendering our holding means efiective even in the presence of friction and stretch in the pull-cord or drawing mechanism. While we have described our invention in deta'ilfor the preferred form shown, it will be understood that modifications may be made withinthe scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. 1

We claim: I 1. In a drapery fixture of the character indicated, a track, two slides slidable on said track, pull means including strings attached to said slides, keeper means on one of said slides, and

spring-detent means on the other of said slides and aligned for engagement with said keeper means when said slides are near each other, one of said slides having an elongated recess adjacent the one of said keeper and detent means carried thereby, said slides being movable relatively to each other beyond a drawn engagement of said detent means with said keeper means, so that there may be longitudinal lost motion between said slides after a drawn engagement of said detent means -with said keeper means, whereby said lost motion may usefully permit stress relief in said pull means without stressing the engagement of said detent means and said slidable on said track, spring-detent means including separate interengageable members on each of said slides and resiliently relatively defiectable upon engagement of said members, one of said members including two adjacent oppositely inclined cams, the other of said members including follower means for said cams, and drapery-suspension means on said slides and extending on one of said slides in overlapping relation with the detent member carried thereby.

5. In a drapery fixture of the character indicated, an elongated traverse track, two slides slidable on said track,. spring-detent means including separate interengageable members on each of said slides and resiliently relatively defiectable upon engagement of said members, said spring-detent means including two cams, one of said cams being carried by one of said members and inclined in a first sloping direction relatively to the longitudinal extent of said track, the other of said cams being carried by one of said members and inclined inv a second and generally opposite sloping direction relatively to the longitudinal extent of said track, said members and said cams being so formed that the action of one cam is longitudinallyadjacent the action of the other cam, whereby a direct pull of said slides together may sufiice to engage said slides and a direct pull of said slides apart may suflice to disengage said slides, and draperysuspension means on said slides and extending on one of said slides in overlapping relation with the detent member carried thereby.

6. In a drapery fixture of the character indicated, an elongated track, two slides slidable on said track, two-way-action detent means comprising a spring carried by one of said slides and including first latch means at the free end thereof, and second latch means carried by the other of said slides, both said latch means being aligned for interception and mutual engagement upon relative approach of said members, said latch means including two oppositely sloping cams each inclined with respect to the longitudinal extent of said track, said latch means and said cams bein so formed that the action of one cam is longitudinally adjacent the action of the other cam, and drapery-suspension means on said slides and extending on one of said slides in overlapping relation with the latch means carried thereby.

FRED H. WERNER. JAMES J. GRAHAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Great Britain Aug. 19, 1947 

